4 weeks

One question I have is do I say he is a month old now that he is 4 weeks old? Or is he only a month old on the 16th of this month (since he was born on the 16th)? Either way, I can't believe it has been 4 weeks already!

I have a few things that I've wanted to write about, that I forgot to mention in previous posts where they would have fit in, so I will put them here on the 4 week anniversary of my babies arrival into the world.

The pain after delivery. I already talked about how delivery was pain-free because of my epidural, but that doesn't last forever. I tore a little bit, and had to have stitches. (again the epidural made getting the stitches painless, I didn't feel it at all.) But for a week or two, I was sore (down there). Night time was the worst time, probably because I was active most of the day, and didn't pay attention to the pain until I was trying to relax and go to sleep. I was the most sore when sitting (for obvious reasons). I ended up taking percocet at night a couple times to help me sleep and get comfortable, and it really did help with the discomfort I was feeling. I didn't notice any difference with Riley when I took the percocet. I definitely felt the effects though. I took ibuprofen pretty much whenever I could take the next dose for a few days. The funny thing is though, that my arms hurt more the day after Riley was born, from when I was holding up my legs while pushing. All things considered, the pain wasn't so bad that I felt like I was torn open or that I was suffering. After pushing out a large melon you would expect some pain, and I actually expected more pain than I had. Again, just another reason that I know I could do it all over again.

Circumcision. As I discussed previously, Jamaal and I decided to circumcise our son. Mostly for cosmetic reasons to be truthful. I've seen both types of penises, and I feel the circumcised ones are more attractive. Jamaal, being circumcised himself, felt that circumcision is the normal thing to have done. I just hope that my son doesn't sue me for cutting off his foreskin when he had no say in the matter. It ended up being a pretty expensive procedure, that insurance doesn't cover. We had it done when he was 11 days old. I had every intention of staying in the room with him, but as the medical assistant was explaining the procedure, I began to tear up. Again, I blame the hormones. I decided that it would be better if I stepped out. My doctor said that even though he screamed through most of it, he didn't think it was related to pain, but related more to Riley being held down on a board to keep him still. I did notice, however, for a few days after that he seemed a bit more sensitive during diaper changes. The end result is a fully healed and circumcised penis. No infection or complication.

Child rearing. I must admit that I have an intense fear of parenting. I'm super nervous that I'll make a mistake that will scar Riley for life. I hope that I don't create a serial killer or rapist. Or a son that kills his parents in a violent teenage rage. Even though I realize that at the moment discipline isn't really an issue, I am setting the stage right now with his sleep cycle and feedings. I hope to end up with a son that respects me and generally enjoys my company (and visa-versa.). I really want to enjoy my son and have fun raising him, but know that there will be hard parts too, that might not be as enjoyable as I'd like. I'm sure most new parents (and even seasoned pros) have some similar fears.

The girls and Riley. When Bella met Riley she was very interested in him. She wanted to sniff him all over, and lick his ears and face. She wagged her tail and was very excited. Bacardi, on the other hand, growled at him. It was very scary. Next to Riley she looked so much bigger, and for the first time looked dangerous to me. She didn't show her teeth or do much more than growl. But it was very nerve racking. Bella is still the same. She isn't as excited as she was before, but she still tries to smell him and will lick his face and ears. Bacardi has improved. She too, now tries to lick his face and ears. She will still bark or growl at him, but only when he is crying/screaming. She also doesn't usually growl or bark at him very close to him, she is usually at least a couple feet away when she does it. I think they will be his best best friends when he gets older. Something I've found is that while dog hair is very unattractive on my clothing and furniture, it is an abomination on a newborn. I will never own a dog that sheds again. I hate picking Bacardi hairs off of Riley's lips/face. I know it will only get worse when he gets mobile.